Technical Abstract:
Three insect susceptible sweetpotato cultivars (‘Beauregard’ [B63 & B94-14] and 'SC1149 19'), two insect-resistant sweetpotato cultivars ('Charleston Scarlet' and ‘Ruddy’), and ten regional sweetpotato genotypes from the 2011 National Sweetpotato Collaborator Trials were evaluated for insect resistance in replicated field trials at Charleston, SC. Three entries (‘Ruddy, ‘Charleston Scarlet’, and L07-146) had significantly less overall insect damage (ie., higher percentage of undamaged roots) and a lower WDS index (Wireworm, Diabrotica, Systena) than did the three susceptible checks (B-63, B94-14, and SC1149-19). Overall, the highest level of resistance was for the resistant check cultivar ‘Ruddy’, which had nearly 90% uninjured roots. Twelve genotypes had significantly less damage by flea beetles than did ‘SC1149 19’. Root injury form sweetpotato weevils was very light and data were not significant for 2011.